Charles Bulkley


Charles Bulkley was an English Baptist minister,

Life

The fourth son of Thomas Bulkley, silk mercer in Ludgate Street, and Esther, fourth daughter of Matthew Henry, he was born in London 18 October 1719. His early education was under the Rev. Lancaster, a clergyman at Chester. He was trained for the ministry under Philip Doddridge, whose Northampton Academy he entered in 1736.
Bulkley's first settlement was with the Presbyterian congregation at Welford, Northamptonshire. He shortly moved on to Colchester for a while. Under the influence of John Ashworth, brother of Caleb Ashworth, he adopted the views of the General Baptists, went to London, and was immersed. Ashworth had been minister of the Baptist congregation at White's Alley, Little Moorfields; in 1743 Bulkley was the successful candidate for that post, but he again moved on to a more prominent position.
Bulkley, in 1745, succeeded James Foster at the Barbican, carrying with him his congregation from White's Alley. Some years later, when Foster retired from the Sunday evening lectureship at the Old Jewry Meeting-house, Bulkley again succeeded him. He came round, after Foster's death, to "mixed communion", and was taken to task for it by Grantham Killingworth, a General Baptist layman of Norwich. He is reported to have had a crowded audience at the Old Jewry for some few years.
In 1779 the General Baptist numbers in London were dropping. Bulkley's congregation associated with three others in building a small meeting-house in Worship Street, Finsbury. Bulkley continued his ministry, though paralysis in 1795 broke his health and affected his speech.
Bulkley died on 15 April 1797, and was buried on 25 April in the graveyard behind the meeting-house in Worship Street.

Works

Bulkley published:
and some sermons. Posthumously published were:
Bulkley married in 1749 Ann Fiske, of Colchester, but had no issue.